15-Year-Old With Defaced Gun Arrested On Jefferson Street: Police

JOLIET, IL — Tuesday night's traffic stop in the 2000 block of West Jefferson Street has led to multiple criminal charges for a 15-year-old boy who had a loaded gun in the car, according to Joliet police.

The boy has been booked into custody at the River Valley Juvenile Justice Center on charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, defacing identification marks on a gun, unlawful possession of ammunition and having no Firearm Owner's Identification card.

Joliet police say the traffic stop happened because the car had an expired registration.

"Officers identified the juvenile as a passenger in the vehicle and noted that it appeared that he was attempting to conceal an item on the floorboard between his legs," police spokesman Dwayne English stated. "Upon search of the vehicle, officers located a loaded .22 caliber handgun in a bag on the floorboard where the juvenile had been seated in the vehicle."

Joliet police say the gun's serial number was defaced. The juvenile was placed into custody without incident, police reports reflect.